CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The big question entering the season for four-time defending Super 8 Champion Malden Catholic was who was going to step up and fill the scoring void left with the departure of former ESPN Boston Mr. Hockey winners Ara Nazarian and Tyler Sifferlen.
The answer might be big junior winger Jack Adams, who notched two goals, including the game winner, Saturday night in his team’s season-opening 4-3 win over Delbarton (N.J.) School at Harvard University’s Bright Landry Hockey Arena.
“Ara and Siff were our guys last year. I still talk to them on a regular basis and get advice from them. Guys need to step up this year. Everyone’s writing us off, but we got a lot of guys in this group. We all believe,” said Adams.
Northeastern commit Matt Filipe had a goal and an assist and defenseman John McLean also lit the lamp for the Lancers, who took a 4-1 lead before letting the Green Wave back into the game towards the end.
“We wanted to keep it entertaining,” joked head coach John McLean. “It made it interesting in the end.”
“We got on them early. We closed it out in the end which matters the most. It’s a good win to start the season,” added Adams.
Adams opened the scoring at the 9:33 mark of the first period on a second attempt shot from the high slot that beat Delbarton goaltender Troy Kobryn low blocker side. Adams’ first shot was blocked, but he picked it right up and fired quickly into the far corner.
The Lancers extended their lead to 2-0 just 1:42 into the middle frame on a play generated by hard work along the boards. Filipe battled all the way from the half-wall down to the end boards with a Green Wave defender before gaining control of the puck. He swung around the net and pushed a wraparound attempt past Kobryn for the two-goal lead.
Delbarton answered right back just under three minutes later, when Harrison Newman scored his first of two goals on the night. As he was cutting into the zone down the left wing, his first shot was blocked by a defender, but his second swat went bar down to cut the MC lead in half.
A turning point in the game came with seven minutes to play in the second period. MC senior goaltender Alex Reissis stopped Delbarton’s Kevin Obssuth on a breakaway attempt and the Green Wave player took a penalty just five seconds later.
Malden Catholic regained its two-goal lead on the ensuing power play. Filipe fed the puck up to McLean at the right point. The senior defenseman wasted no time firing an absolute rocket that caromed into the back of the net after hitting traffic in front.
Adams gave the Lancers some much-needed breathing room at the 3:00 mark of the third period. Nick Botticelli made a great play with some slick moves down the right boards to gain entry into the zone. After some cycling down low, the puck ended up right on Adams’ stick in the low slot for a quick put away into the net for a 4-1 lead.
That three-goal cushion ended up coming in handy for Malden Catholic. Newman scored again off a nice lead pass by defenseman Sean Petrie with 3:11 to play. Just 16 seconds later, Jack Chatwin drew the visitors to within a goal. Filipe was whistled for an interference penalty that allowed Delbarton to have a two-man advantage with the goalie pulled in the final seconds of the game, but the Lancers held off the charge.
Beneficial Offseason: Jack Adams knows a thing or two about what it takes to get a Division I scholarship. His brother Mark plays college hockey at Providence and is a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres. However, it was a season ending meeting with after last season with McLean that set in motion an offseason of hard work that has paid huge dividends.
“Coach McLean and I had a big meeting at the end of the year. [Skating] was one of the things he wanted me to work on. I’m a big guy. It’s sometimes harder for me,” said Adams.
Adams worked with veteran skating guru Paul Vincent, who has been around the rinks and worked with countless NHLers over the past few decades.
“I went to Paul Vincent Hockey this summer. They worked on my skating every day of the week. They worked on my stride in the weight room with my trainer Marco Sanchez,” explained Adams, who is beginning to draw some interest from Division 1 schools.
The 6-foot-5 junior has always had a scoring touch, but his coach thought he needed to work on his strength and foot speed in order to elevate his game to the next level.
“He’s always had the offensive smarts. He’s got great hands. He can always finish. You know he’s a big kid. Until he fills out it’s hard to get going. We talked about it. He needed to get to the gym and work hard. He skated with Paul all summer. So far it’s paid off,” said McLean.
Reissis Makes the Grade: Goaltending sometimes can get lost in the shadows when a team has players such as Sifferlen, Nazarian and Filipe scoring goals and generating headlines up front. But to his teammates, there is no forgetting the key role goaltending plays in winning hockey games.
“He’s been important [all along]. He was good today. He stood on his head as usual. He’s a great goalie,” commented Adams.
His importance was never more evident than when he made a big save with his right pad on a breakaway in the second period. It really shifted the momentum back in MC’s favor.
“That’s what he’s supposed to do. Make the saves when he has to. Keep us in the game when we make mistakes. It was a great save at the time. 2-2 would have been a completely different game,” explained McLean.
Reissis and Malden Catholic are off until after Christmas when they host Hingham in the first round of the Christie Serino Classic at the Valley Forum in Malden.